Megan Vining is a graduate of Washington State University and received her degree in Recreation Administration in 1998 and has worked for the City of Pullman for almost 25 years as the Recreation Supervisor and as of January 2022, being promoted to Recreation Manager. She is currently serving as the Acting City Administrator.
Megan is a Certified Youth Sports Administrator (NAYS) and a Certified Parks and Recreation Professional.
Megan has been active in NRPA and WRPA since 1998 and has served in many different roles including Annual Conference Committee member in 2017 and 2018, Annual Conference Awards Committee member in 2013 and 2025, Membership Committee member, member of Athletic/Fitness Section, Administration, Teens, and Facilities, served as District 6 Elect and Chair 2010-2014, and served on the Eastside Skill builder Committee from 2007-2011.
Megan is involved locally with Palouse Alliance for Healthy Individuals, Families, and Communities Member, Family Fair and Networking Breakfast Committee Member, current Chair of the Colton-Uniontown Distinguished Young Woman Scholarship Program, judge for the Washington State University Bruya-Wood Undergraduate Research Conference Judge, served on the YMCA of the Palouse Board of Trustees for nine years and the Boost Collaborative Board for nine years.

Chris Powell, King County Parks, Regional Scheduling Supervisor

As a proud alumnus of Eastern Washington University, Chris possesses a Bachelor of Arts degree in Recreation Management and is currently the Regional Scheduling Supervisor for King County Parks. Throughout his fourteen years of experience working in the recreation industry, he has operated and facilitated programs at all levels. In his spare time, he loves to travel, exercise, enjoy sports, and spending as much time as possible with his family and friends. Chris is at his happiest when he is building relationships, helping others grow, and using any excuse to have a good time recreating.

Jennifer Burbidge, Lacey Parks, Culture & Recreation, Director

Jen pursued Recreation Management with the intent go into private recreation but fell in love with community parks, culture and recreation and dove into that work for the past three decades. She enjoys the wellness aspect, creating healthy communities, and being the “fun” part of local government. Over the past 30 years, she has managed a diverse range of programs and projects in 6 communities prior to Lacey: Olympia, Anacortes, Federal Way, Kirkland, Puyallup and Tacoma. Her passions are leading a strong team and building relationships that will bring more amenities and access to people. She loves being in Lacey and working in partnership with North Thurston Public Schools, Senior Services for South Sound, Rotary, Lion’s Club, Saint Martin’s University, YMCA, PARC Foundation, Lacey Community Foundation and many others.

Jen lives in Lacey, adjacent to a 537 acre park she spent two years master planning. Construction is now underway for the first phase and should be complete by Fall. She loves spending time with her husband and their 4 kids. Their oldest is an engineer working for Boeing, the next kid graduates from WSU in May, the next kid graduates from CWU in June (yes, two graduations in two months!) and the youngest is finishing his first year at CWU. She loves her 2 dogs and 1 cat. She also loves spending time with best friends, in the yoga studio, on her bike, and in her garden (in that order).

Jen is your outgoing WRPA President but will continue to focus on equity, inclusion and belonging for all members, and strategic planning with the WRPA Board. She’s a former board member for North Thurston Kiwanis and received the club’s Mover & Shaker award for both 2022 & 2023. Also, in 2024 she received one of the 2024 Exceptional Woman Awards from the Soroptimist International Club of Olympia. 

Nick Farline, Kennewick Parks & Recreation, Director

Nicholas Farline has over 20 years of experience in the parks and recreation field, currently is the Parks, Recreation & Facilities Director for the City of Kennewick, Washington. Previously he served as the Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Services Director for the City of Valdez, Alaska. He also worked for the City of Seattle Parks and Recreation Department, Washington State University Extension and was born and raised in Spokane, WA. He is passionate about the power positive recreation and leisure opportunities have on an entire community!
Farline is accredited as a National Recreation and Parks Association (NRPA) Certified Park and Recreation Executive (CPRE), earned a M.S. in Recreation and Sport Sciences from Ohio University, and B.A. in Economics from Eastern Washington University. He has directed outdoor recreation programs internationally as well as for municipal and state agencies, has taught both didactical and skill-based college courses, and has presented at state, national and international conferences. Farline was a member of WRPA in 2016-2018 and is currently a WRPA member involved in monthly Director Meetings, and RCO Youth Facilities Workgroup member. He was an Alaska Recreation and Parks Association (ARPA) President-Elect, and has attended seven NRPA conference in a row. He would be honored to serve on the WRPA board.

He has a core belief that WRPA is and will continue to be an advocacy tool for the Parks and Recreation field both here in the state of Washington and nationally. The voice of many are stronger than the voice of a few, supporting partnership opportunities of local municipalities across the state to advocate for funding and legislation is a critical feature of WRPA. In addition, he thinks another opportunity is to continue to grow partnerships with institutes of higher education to bolster the number of new professionals entering our field. The need to grow the number of highly qualified individuals entering the Recreation and Parks field is critical to stay relevant and meet the needs of our communities. He would contribute to these efforts and provide valuable input to the board through a varied experience and national connections in the field.

Nicholas Farline spearheaded a successful award of an Economic Development Association Travel, Tourism and Outdoor Recreation Grant to provide a 186 acre park and trail system in a under-developed natural area. The award was for $2.3 million for a rural Alaska town. What makes this worthy of acknowledgement is the primary element of the award and plan is inclusive access into the park. Farline was able to use ARPA and his network to receive statements about the importance of inclusive community assets that helped articulate the need and value to both federal funding entities and local stakeholders. The ability for all ages and physical ability to access a community asset is at the core of our responsibilities to each of our communities. In addition, he secured $500,000 of funding to develop the first fully inclusive splash pad for the City of Kennewick. He is also leading an effort to update playground surfaces across the Kennewick system. This is an area he is intentional about securing funding and articulating the value of inclusivity to decision makers, staff and the community.

Lisa Ellson, Parks Tacoma, Community Center Assistant Supervisor

Lisa is passionate about park and recreation, and she loves creating opportunities for community that strengthen connection and promote wellness. With 27 years of experience, she has brought people together through various programs, events, and leadership.
Lisa works for Parks Tacoma, where she oversees the busiest community center. In her personal life, her favorite thing to do is spend time with her family and her dog Diana (AKA; Wonder woman). Lisa is passionate about healthy living and loves running, hiking, and walking outside. She also enjoys lifting and yoga. She loves spending time with friends.
As the incoming Vice President of WRPA, she is excited to help contribute to the continuous foundational work of Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (EIB) and for the opportunity to keep driving the mission forward.

Patrick Ulinkski, Bellingham Parks and Recreation; Recreation Coordinator- Athletics

Patrick Ulinski is a rec professional with a combined nearly 10 years of experience in the field. He began his recreation journey as a WWU Rec major. He got his first experience in municipal parks and rec through an internship at Skagit County Parks & Rec which lead to seasonal employment. He then graduated in 2016 and got a job working in recreation as a Recreation Supervisor for campus rec at Cascades Job Corps center. He knew he ultimately wanted to get back into municipal parks and rec so when a job opening came in 2022, he applied to work for Bellingham Parks & Rec as their Athletics Coordinator and was fortunate to get the position. He has been here for 3 years and has enjoyed serving the community he is so fortunate to call home. In his free time he enjoys playing sports, making music and spending time with his family (which includes a now 1-year old!)

Lauren Woodmansee, Community Recreation Supervisor for Bellingham Parks & Recreation

Lauren “officially” started her professional career in 1992 with Mount Vernon Parks and Recreation as the Youth Activities Coordinator. Prior to that she had worked in several part time and summer jobs as a lifeguard, soccer coach, referee, swim coach and more. Over the years she has worked for the City of Bellingham, Skagit County and Marysville. She also owned Recreation Without Borders, a trip and adventure company that worked very closely with several municipalities, senior centers, colleges and private customers. She's currently the Community Recreation Supervisor for Bellingham Parks & Recreation which incorporates all of the City’s recreational offerings excluding Aquatics and Athletic Facilities.

Lauren has been a member of WRPA since 1993 and was elected to the Board in 2003 and again 2020. She has served on numerous conference planning and membership committees, as well as attended Day on the Hill events. Lauren was the recipient of the Mickey Corso Leadership Grant in 2005.

Outside of work, she continue to live, eat and breathe all things parks and recreation and her love to hike, run in community races, attend free summer concerts, take enrichment classes, play in a variety of sports leagues, and more. 

 Stefanie Coleman,  Parks Manager for the City of Auburn

Stefanie Coleman is a dedicated public service professional with over 25 years of experience in parks, golf course, and facility maintenance. She currently serves as the Parks Manager for the City of Auburn, Washington, where she leads operations, planning, and maintenance for the city’s parks system. Her expertise spans asset management, maintenance management planning, and the long-term stewardship of public spaces.

A graduate of Washington State University, Stefanie was also the captain of the university’s women’s golf team, combining leadership with a passion for the outdoors early in her career. She began her professional journey as Superintendent at Tacoma Firs Golf Center and later served as a Greenskeeper at Tacoma Golf and Country Club. Seeking to broaden her impact, she transitioned into municipal parks maintenance with the City of Lakewood, where she expanded her skill set in managing public facilities and natural resources.

Known for her hands-on leadership and strategic insight, Stefanie is committed to enhancing the quality and sustainability of public spaces for the communities she serves.

Outside of work, Stefanie enjoys golfing, boating, scuba diving, and capturing moments through sports photography.